Seoul Metropolitan Council Removes TBS from Standing Committee Jurisdiction

TBS to Lose Affiliate Status Starting from the 11th

The ordinance to remove the media foundation TBS from the institutions under the jurisdiction of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee passed the plenary session on the 11th.

According to the city council, the "Amendment to the Basic Ordinance of the Seoul Metropolitan Council," which includes this content, was approved at the plenary session of the city council on the same day. Following TBS losing its status as a Seoul Metropolitan Government-funded institution from that day, it was also excluded from the institutions under the jurisdiction of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's standing committee as a follow-up measure.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Hyun-gi, a member of the People Power Party and the representative proposer of the amendment, said, "TBS has completely left the hands of the Seoul Metropolitan Council," adding, "The legal and institutional grounds for Seoul citizens to provide tax support to TBS have completely disappeared."

The agenda originally scheduled for plenary review was the "Amendment to the Basic Ordinance of the Seoul Metropolitan Council" to change the institutions under the jurisdiction of the Planning and Economy Committee, but the People Power Party submitted an amendment to the ordinance to remove TBS from the institutions under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's jurisdiction, and the agenda was approved.

Immediately after the inauguration of the 11th city council in July 2022, all members of the People Power Party proposed an ordinance to stop tax support for TBS. Although the ordinance to abolish support was passed in November of the same year, support continued until May following Seoul City's request for a grace period, and financial support from the city was cut off from June 1.

Kim, who served as the chairperson of the city council at the time and urged changes to TBS, said, "In the future, I will closely examine and boldly demand changes based on the so-called 'three no principles' to see if there are policies and budgets that are unnecessary, unclear in purpose, or ineffective."